Paul McAuliffe (47) was first elected to the Dáil in 2020 taking his seat following a battle with outgoing Fine Gael TD Noel Rock. It was a reversal of the 2016 campaign when McAuliffe lost out to Rock.

The party’s spokesman on social protection and local government, McAuliffe was also part of a group tasked with modernising Fianna Fáil in the wake of the 2020 elections.

McAuliffe had served as a Fianna Fáil councillor since 2009, but had previously sought election, unsuccessfully, to the council in 2004 for the Progressive Democrats.

He held the position of Lord Mayor in the run up to the 2020 elections, and was instrumental in securing agreement of Greens, Labour and the Social Democrats in forming a ruling group with his party following the local elections in 2019.

A Finglas native he was educated at Beneavin College Secondary School and the National College of Ireland.